Chapter 731 - 455: Brain Trust and Dispelling Confusion (Part 2)

Chapter 731: Chapter 455: Brain Trust and Dispelling Confusion (Part 2)

Solution: The deep-space location of the Final Holy Hall cannot currently be determined. Intervention is impossible.

Intent Analysis:

1. Sensing the threat from the Godslaying Weapon, it has trapped the weapon to buy time for the Abyssal Legion to destroy Gaia. The vast amounts of death, despair, and suffering will augment the "Abyssal Incarnation’s" Power. At the same time, the Level 12 contamination source created by the Black Sun will accelerate Gaia’s Abyssalization.

2. It is stalling for time, likely for some ulterior motive. Due to a lack of relevant clues, further extrapolation is impossible.

3....]

[Gaia Observation Log M20-639: Missing Star Association Operator Zhou Chen has returned. During the five days he was out of contact, he was pulled into a mental trial called the "Song of Valiant" by Carol, the younger sister of the King of Gaia. This mental trial is identical to the one imbued in the Sword of Ten Thousand Kings. Passing it allows one to directly wield the Sword of Ten Thousand Kings.

Analysis:

1. The Star Association has not obtained any clues related to Carol’s claim that "only by obtaining the Sword of Ten Thousand Kings can the plot be advanced." Based on long-term research, completing the game does not require a specific Artifact; it only requires killing the boss. However, for the sake of caution, this point remains questionable.

2. Carol’s act of forceful moral blackmail is inconsistent with her status as a "Mind Master." She seemed desperate for Zhou Chen to pass the mental trial. Although she later explained her reasons, there are likely other intentions at play—intentions that even Carol herself may not be aware of.

3. Following the previous point, Carol was once corrupted and became an Abyssal Spirit. Even though the corruption has been cleansed, her thoughts could have been secretly altered beforehand; this is quite common. Therefore, we can venture a guess that the reason Carol made this mistake and was so desperate for Zhou Chen to pass the mental trial was due to the influence of the corruption. Combining this with the first point, we can infer that it is the ’Abyssal Incarnation’ that wants Zhou Chen to pass the mental trial and take up the Sword of Ten Thousand Kings.

4. By combining observation logs "M20-173" and "M20-174," a partial truth can be pieced together.

The "Abyssal Incarnation" sensed a mortal threat from the Godslaying Weapon. It speculates that it might meet its end during this current Player descent. Thus, it has decided to go all-in, using some kind of Ability to pull the Godslaying Weapon into a loop. It is using this loop to continuously strengthen the Black Sun, thereby amplifying the Power of the Abyssal Legion and inciting a world-ending war to destroy Gaia.

If Gaia is destroyed, the "Abyssal Incarnation" will absorb a massive amount of negative Power and become even stronger. Surviving an encounter with the Godslaying Weapon would not be difficult then.

But the "Abyssal Incarnation" likely wants more than to simply survive this time. As a caged bird bound by the game’s Rules, it must have tried to break free from these constraints and escape the Restricted Area. Over a long period of time, it may have found a lead, and the method is related to the Sword of Ten Thousand Kings.

That is why the "Abyssal Incarnation" factored Zhou Chen into its scheme as well.

As the source of the corruption, the "Abyssal Incarnation" can watch every corrupted being. Zhou Chen’s search for the Sword of Ten Thousand Kings and the Abyssal Spirit could not have escaped its notice. It knew Zhou Chen would eventually find Carol. So, it used the residual corruption to secretly influence Carol’s thoughts in advance, causing her to forcibly pull Zhou Chen into the mental trial when the time came.

The "Abyssal Incarnation" was so desperate probably because it feared that in a normal conversation, Zhou Chen would refuse to enter the mental trial, causing it to run out of time. The time for the Reboot might be limited. If Zhou Chen didn’t show up with the Sword of Ten Thousand Kings within that window, all its calculations would be for naught.

And it only needed to exert a trivial influence; Carol would do the rest herself—pleading with Zhou Chen to take up the Sword of Ten Thousand Kings and save Gaia. While this wasn’t the optimal choice, it was just as effective.

In the meantime, the world-ending war would break out. When Zhou Chen woke up and saw that the Godslaying Weapon was out of contact and Gaia was in crisis, he would most likely pick up the Sword of Ten Thousand Kings—a home delivery.]

[Gaia Battle Plan No. 996: ......]

——————

After going through the files in his mind, Zhou Chen couldn’t help but sigh in admiration. ’The think tank really lives up to its name.’ He no longer had that vague feeling that something was off, because the think tank had seen through everything and provided a reasonable explanation.

Zhou Chen recalled the events and had a sudden realization. "So you’re saying all those ’coincidental’ encounters with Desecration Cultists while I was looking for the Abyssal Spirit... it’s highly likely the ’Abyssal Incarnation’ was secretly influencing them to lead me right to Carol?"

’That’s just too sinister...’

’Seems like all those ancient bastards are black-hearted schemers.’

"That would explain it. But remember, the think tank is just offering a reasonable hypothesis. Don’t take it all as fact. Be cautious," Jiang Che reminded him.

Zhou Chen nodded.

"From now on, we stick to the battle plan."

·

[You have completed the main quest . EXP +45,000!]

[You have completed the main quest . EXP +45,000!]

·

BOOM!

A blazing meteorite crashed into the Darkness-shrouded Gaia Royal City, carving a scorched crater over fifty meters in diameter in the inner city district.

From the crater, an incandescent white steel body wreathed in pale, Fiery Fire slowly emerged. Zhou Chen scanned his surroundings. His vision filled with countless crimson eyes and savage silhouettes. The Demons that had occupied this place for a thousand years let out frenzied roars at the uninvited guest, scrambling to be the first to pounce and kill.

A dazzlingly brilliant light suddenly erupted from Zhou Chen’s body—Elemental Bomb!

A thunderous explosion and a magnificent pillar of pale fire shot into the sky. The fiery wave rolled outward, its destructive Power blasting all the Demons in the area into dust.

SWOOSH!

The Steel Phoenix Fire Feather unfurled from his back and flapped once, hard. A sonic boom and a white shockwave—a Bailan—instantly spread out from his position as Zhou Chen shot forward like an arrow loosed from a bow.

Target: Gaia Imperial Palace!

A dazzling, fiery meteor streaked across the sky. In the dark Royal City, countless figures looked up. In an instant, the Royal City was in an uproar. The monsters, starved for centuries, scrambled toward the meteor, forming a terrifying torrent.

"OOOOOO—"

A deep horn blast suddenly echoed through the sky. Immediately after, the Demon Dragon Soul descended, indiscriminately spewing Dark Black Dragon Flame downwards, incinerating the monsters that packed the streets.

The Dark Demon Dragon let out a clear, resounding draconic cry as it circled above the Royal City. It continuously spat Demon Dragon’s Flame, annihilating powerful monsters throughout the city. It was once the guardian of Gaia Royal City, but now, it was the city’s most terrifying enemy.

At this moment, Zhou Chen was practically a stone’s throw from the Gaia Imperial Palace. He saw a figure sitting cross-legged before its gates.

It was a malformed, swollen Giant. It wore a tattered helmet and faded, dilapidated armor. Its body was covered in a crisscrossing mess of mouths, eyeballs, and arms. Beside it lay a broken, dull Long Spear.

This was once the supreme guardian of the Imperial Palace, but now it had become a loathsome Abyssal Monster. Even so, it still fulfilled its duty, guarding the Imperial Palace.

Sensing the uninvited guest’s arrival, the swollen Giant slowly rose to its feet.

The boss battle music began to play softly in Zhou Chen’s ears.

But just then—

"OOOOOO—"

The deep, resounding horn blast rolled and echoed through the sky.

The next second, the Sea Serpent Emperor Dragon shot out from the void. It opened its massive maw—large enough to swallow an entire island—and in one gulp, it devoured the swollen Giant along with half the Imperial Palace.

The boss battle music stopped abruptly. The fight was over before the boss’s health bar even had a chance to appear.

Then, RUMBLE RUMBLE RUMBLE...

Heaven and earth trembled. The Sea Serpent Emperor Dragon descended upon Gaia Royal City. Its body was larger than the magnificent city-state itself. The moment it landed, it flattened more than half of the Royal City and the surrounding area, bringing an apocalypse down upon tens of thousands of monsters.

Afterwards, the Sea Serpent Emperor Dragon simply rolled over once. The ground shook violently, and amidst the billowing dust and smoke, Gaia Royal City was completely wiped from existence.

Zhou Chen charged into the Imperial Palace, rampaging all the way to the main hall.

The once magnificent and splendid hall had long been corroded by Darkness. Even the throne, a symbol of supreme Power and glory, was dilapidated and defiled by filth.

Zhou Chen took out the fully assembled Desecration Emblem.

With a HUM, the Desecration Emblem resonated with something. Strange Abyss Curses lit up in the air, forming a circle, and then opened a swirling vortex that led to an unknown destination.

Zhou Chen stepped inside.